INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY

Series One: The Boulton & Watt Archive and the Matthew Boulton Papers from

Birmingham Central Library

Parts 12 and 13: Boulton & Watt Correspondence and Papers

Technical Note - Part 12

Our microfilm publications have been prepared and produced in accordance with recommended and established guide-lines for the production of microform of superior quality. These conform to the recommendations of the standard guides to good microforming and micropublishing practice.

Attention should be drawn to the nature of the original material. The material consists of folders of correspondence and related papers spanning the period c1776-1830. Most of the material is in very good condition. A few manuscript items contain some faintly legible text written with a variety of inks, pens or pencils. A few items are stained or discoloured at the edges, or comprise material on very thin paper, which is so thin that there is show through that renders the original document difficult to read.

These original characteristics present difficulties of image and contrast which stringent tests and camera alterations cannot entirely overcome. Every effort has been made to minimise these difficulties.

An A4 identification target is filmed at the front of every new section of material. The relevant pages from the new typescript listing, completed by the ‘Archives of Soho’ Project, have also been added at the front of each section of material.

The full listings from the black binders covering MS 3147/3/1-79 and MS 3147/3/245-299 have been reproduced in their entirety on Reels 198 and 211 respectively. These listings are copyright of Birmingham City Council and we gratefully acknowledge their permission to include them in this microfilm project.

All these materials have been recently re-catalogued by the ‘Archives of Soho’ Project. The numbering of individual documents and other cataloguing work is still ongoing at the time of filming. Researchers should check any queries with the staff at Birmingham City Archives, Central Library, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3HQ, England, in case any further re-numbering has taken place. Contact details are as follows:

Tel: +44 (0)121 303 4217
Fax: +44 (0)121 464 1176
Email: archives@birmingham.gov.uk

The staff of Bell & Howell Ltd, Micromedia Division have exercised the most responsible care in the filming of this unique collection at the Central Library in Birmingham and this microfilm publication meets the standards established by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

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